SAN FRANCISCO  He was one of the ones brought in to pitch due to somebody else’s injury. And then he, in turn, was one of the injured.

Of the six pitchers not named Tim Stauffer who’ve started games for the Padres before going on the disabled list this season, left-handed veteran Eric Stults was the first to return, throwing two innings of scoreless relief in a loss to the San Francisco Giants on Monday. His very presence after a seven-week stint on the DL with a strained lat in his pitching shoulder is a long-awaited sign that Padres pitchers are healing, if slowly.

Stauffer, who began the season on the DL and was returned there after just one start in Washington, has been with the club in San Francisco and is due to throw his second bullpen session before Wednesday afternoon’s series finale at AT&T Park. If there are no further flare-ups in Stauffer’s rehabilitated right elbow, he’ll be sent to Arizona for more throwing and possibly make rehab starts next week.

With a touch of irony, it was noted that after months of seemingly non-stop patchwork on their injury-depleted pitching staff with free-agent signings like Stults, Jason Marquis, Ross Ohlendorf and Kip Wells, the Padres could actually end up with an abundance of veteran pitchers in the coming months.

“Right, right,” said Stults, “and then the problem’s gonna be where you put everybody.”

Stults’ return, while initially bolstering the bullpen, actually creates some possibilities in the rotation. Claimed off waivers by the Padres in mid-May, Stults started in his only four appearances before feeling the grab of the lat in a bullpen session. He had a 1-2 record and 3.33 earned-run average at the time.

With no game, the pitching order remains the same for the weekend series at Miami. Wells will start on Friday, Ohlendorf on Saturrday and Clayton Richard on will start Friday.

The Padres have lost four of five starts by Wells, coming off a no-decision in which he gave up six runs (five earned) and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. Ohlendorf, though the most logical choice for long relief, has a 3-0 record and gotten through at least six innings and struck out six in each of his last two starts.

For his part, Stults is happy just to be back on a major league mound in any capacity.

“The first time back (Monday), I had a little more nerves, a little more jitters,” said Stults. “My goal was to throw strikes and try to get ahead. Sometimes, I think when you haven’t pitched in a while, you have a tendency to over-pitch. I’ve gotten caught up in that in the past. I’ve gone out and overthrown and tried to be too perfect. Last night I was just trying to stay calm.”

Amarista, Maybin updates

Utility player Alexi Amarista might not have started anyway with the Giants throwing lefty Madison Bumgarner at the Padres, but manager Bud Black did not discount his availability despite a jammed thumb that prompted the Padres to pull Amarista from Monday’s game. Black said he doubted that Amarista would be allowed to swing the bat before the Padres leave San Francisco for their weekend series in Miami.

“He’s doing much better,” said Black. “I think we dodged a bullet there.”

Black also said that sore-wristed Cameron Maybin likely won't start Wednesday's finale, since the Padres probably will load up their lineup with left-handed hitters against Tim Lincecum.

Etc.

• Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch (by Madison Bumgarner) for the ninth time in 42 games this season. That's the most by a Padres hitter since David Eckstein was plunked nine times in 2010.

• Six of the Giants 10 runs in the first two games of the series were scored in the first inning. The win was their sixth by walk-off hit this season.